Apple just made it easier to be a Mac developer: This week, the company told Mac App Store developers that they can build applications for Apple Silicon only — they can drop Intel Mac support in their software. The change applies to all macOS apps that require macOS 13 or later.
If you’re still running an Intel Mac, that’s the clearest signal from Apple that your machines are in the final stretch. Developers can now flip a single build setting and stop updating Intel-compatible versions. This means fewer updates reaching Intel hardware from now on.
A tale of two macOS worlds: Intel and Apple silicon
Apple began moving the Mac from Intel processors to its own Apple silicon chips in 2020, starting with the M1. The two platforms are fundamentally different, with Apple Silicon based on the same ARM architecture used in the iPhone and iPad while Intel Macs use x86 processors.
That architectural divide is why Apple required developers to support both platforms, even though it meant maintaining separate versions of their apps. But not anymore.
What Apple actually told developers
In an email that went to developers, Apple said universal Mac apps that need macOS 13 or later can now drop Intel support. This means they can ship arm64-only apps. To go Apple silicon-only, developers just update their build settings, rebuild and resubmit.
This translates to simpler builds and smaller downloads. It also cuts down the bloat caused by apps supporting two different Mac architectures at once.
Until now, Mac App Store rules required apps to support Intel hardware even as the industry moved on. That requirement is gone now.
But not everyone’s Intel-friendly app will vanish overnight. If you are on an Intel Mac, you get to keep the version that supports your machine. It just stops getting updates once the developer goes the Apple Silicon-only route.
And to be clear, Apple won’t prevent third-party developers from continuing to support Intel Macs. It’s just now their choice, not a requirement to be on the Mac App Store.
The exit was already set in motion
This did not come out of nowhere. When macOS 27 Golden Gate debuts this fall, it will be the last OS to support Intel-apps — meaning no new OS updates for Intel hardware from now on.
Rosetta 2 — which allowed Intel-only apps to run on Apple silicon — will be discontinued after macOS 27. It does have a few exceptions for older games, though.
Line it up, and the pattern’s obvious. The OS stops supporting Intel, and Rosetta will stop translating it. The App Store is also telling developers they don’t need to build apps for Intel at all.
Apple has been signaling this for years. Now, it’s no longer a warning, but policy.
For perspective, the last Intel Mac was the 27-inch iMac introduced in August 2020, just months before the company began its transition to Apple silicon. The final Intel models disappeared from Apple’s lineup in 2023.
What the end of Intel Mac support means for your Mac
On Apple Silicon, none of this touches you. But if you’re still using an Intel Mac, take it as a nudge. Check which must-have apps haven’t gone Apple silicon-only yet.
To be clear, Apple did not say that Intel support ends today; it only said that developers no longer have a reason to keep it alive.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
